July News

I've done my usual trick of writing loads, adding photos and then losing it all at the last moment!  Bums!
So here goes again.
More travelling, this time to Budapest to visit Peter who is working there.  I know I saw him a couple of weeks ago, but I have to grab the opportunity to spend time with him whenever i can.
They have put him up in a lovely apartment

right in the center of town.  I did loads of walking, with Peter and on my own.  I did The Big Red Bus' tour which was really good, it included a river tour and a commentary.  So I feel as if I've really 'done' the tourist bit in Bud.  

I met up with Tracy Wells, an old pal who is working on the show - 'Dracula' - and had a good laugh with her and came away feeling so glad that I'm retired and out of it all.  I wouldn't have changed things for the world and was lucky to have had a fabulous career but certainly wouldnt want to do it now!

We ate some good food, most memorable was Beef Cheek which I'd heard about on the cookery programs.  Very interesting!  It looked like a large slice of chocolate cake on the plate and came with mashed potatoes.  The texture was like corned beef that had been shredded and put back together and tasted like corned beef that had been marinated in rich red wine.  Very pleasant but as far as I'm concerned  .......   been there, done that!

For a city that has been rebuilt so many times it is very beautiful and keeping its character.  So here are a few more photos

So, a lovely trip and some nice memories.  Thanks for calling in.

yeah yeah I know it's been a long time but not much happens in sleepy Latchi  It wouldn't have been quite so long if I hadn't pressed the wrong button on Monday and lost 45 minutes worth of blog!  So here goes again.
Peter has been here for a holiday and was so so patient with me, giving me Mac lessons so I now feel much more confident using the sexy thing.  I managed to download a book onto my iPad and kind of remember where my files are - I think.
We had a great time, I treated it as a holiday, too, and didn't do much apart from what was absolutely necessary.
We took a road trip over to the North and was able to find my Dad's village.  We found his house and the old lady who now lives there.  I think we managed to let her know who we were, with a little help from a boy who didn't speak English but understood enough to translate.  Lots of hand signals, nodding and smiling.

Peter found his school and told me some of the tricks he and his pals used to get up to.  It's quite a long walk from the house, Peter didn't remember it being so far but he was only 7 and having fun with his friends.

It's still a school and it and the whole village is in a kind of time warp.  Nothing much has changed at all, my grandparents house had been replaced by something slightly more modern and the 'square' has lost the coffee shop and the 'grocery' shop, but it is as if time has stood still there.

We went to Bellabais Abbey, Saint Hilarion Castle and took the mountain road back.  Stunning!  I beat Peter at backgammon, and we saw real live mouflon, which I thought were a myth.  Sadly they were camera shy.

While we were on this magical trip Peter got a job so had to cut his holiday short, but I'm sure he'll be back when he can manage.  I certainly hope so, I miss him.

Now it's back to life as normal.  I've been grouting today so will post some mosaic photos next time.  Thanks for calling in xx

They say misfortunes come in threes, and we had our three last week.

En Plo has been fun, lots of people and some nice sales - but very tiring, especially the journey to and fro.  So we're a bit pooped.

Winston started hopping on three legs Friday afternoon.  On inspection and with much screaming on his part we realised his little toe (?) was very swollen.  We couldn't get him to the vet until after lunch on Monday, so I popped in to Sharens to buy some tiles to finish an ongoing job.  "I'll only be half an hour" says I.  Easy parking outside Sharens, only one other car on the street.  I ran up the stairs, nodding and smiling at a young lady just leaving and started picking my tiles when there was the unmistakable THUNK of a bashed car.  Yes, you've guessed - my car!  The poor girl was distraught, crying and carrying on.  I was the one consoling her, saying don't worry, it's only a car, while looking over the shoulder I was patting at my poor dented RAV.  The good news it that it's drivable and the other good news is that she and her boyfriend live in Polis.  So when we have the time to get an estimate it wont be too much of a drama to get it fixed.  She said optimistically!

Meanwhile Grahan is waiting for me to get back so he can take Winston to the vet and I am sitting consoling the still upset young lady and waiting for the insurance man to arrive.

On Tuesday our water pump blew up!

And all this is while we're doing 8 hour days plus two travelling.

On a more upbeat note, the garden is looking fab, roses everywhere

And I've made some new mosaics

One of these days I may b able to 'place' my photos.

Wednesdays 'Crafty Ladies' was a hoot.  13 of us in all and they had to bring their own tables!  A really nice time, needless to say I didn't get a lot done for myself but had a great time.

This is a bit of a p.s.  I forgot to mention my fun items.  Its a pair of 70's style drinks tables that nestle round the sofa or armchair.  My Mum still has one of the originals, formica top and mock brass trim.  I think they're brilliant and I got the idea because someone gave me some tiles they didn't want.  Not colours I would have chosen myself, but are very 70's.  So I made two tables and a Lazy Susan.  Great fun!

As I've been down at En Plo since my last post I don't have much to say  so I've taken photos of our display outside the building.  Because of various things we lost quite a bit of wall space, so Graham had the brilliant idea of using the old metal frames that were left over from the car rally.  It looks good and attracts a lot of attention.  the two weeks have been very varied, some very dead days and some with loads of people about.  We've been happy, given that not much of our 'stuff' is aimed at tourists - too heavy and too expensive.  But I did sell one Lazy Susan which was going to London and a

nother one which was going to Canada.  So it's Tzianet-Mosaic International!

I've started working on antique tiles again, it's been a long time since I worked on one and it's good.  A Hoopoo bird and a pair of fanciful dolphins.  I'll post photos if I like them when I've finished them.

We've had a couple of really big storms, Doolley is terrified but they are rather exciting in their way.  It's easy to see how the ancients would believe in the Gods being angry and throwing thunder and lightening around to show their displeasure.

I still have Wednesdays off, it really breaks the week up, gives us a chance to catch up on things and I have my Crafty Lunch ladies round.  I really do enjoy my Wednesdays!

As you can see, I'm still having a little trouble with my blog.   I found the pictures but can't put them where I want them.  Oh well, at least I found them and put them on the page.

Horticultural update:
The little darlings have now popped their little heads out of the soil and are straining towards the sun,  I'm very pleased about this, they have had gentle rain and sunshine.   What more could a little seedling ask for?

We're at En Plo for two weeks.  I'm not sure how we will get on sales wise,   the mainly tourist crowd are going for smaller objects, naturally, to put in their already overloaded cases.  But not too bad, if it wasn't for the cost of petrol, but I'm happy to be there, they are such a fun bunch of girls.  And I am constantly amazed at the talent and artistry they display.

Better get out of bed - my favourite place for getting up-to-date with 'stuff', the view is so gorgeous - as my crafty friends are due shortly.  I like my Wednesdays off from Paphos and look forward to seeing them.  Graham has gone off armed with shopping list  for biscuits and stuff for lunch, so up I get.

My how time flies.  I had my flying visit to London to see Dr Perrett

who looked rather surprised when I asked if I could take his picture.  He was very pleased with me, glad to see me smiling and apologised for my chubbiness due to the steroids.  Ha assured me that it would go away.  Not if I don't stop eating like a navvy it won't!
Jan and Mike made me very welcome again and their new shower room was almost finished.  I managed the trains and busses very well and was very surprised at how busy the 5.08 train from Clapham Junction was.  But it's definitely the way to travel from Battersea.
The weather has been very good, very spring-like. so I put the seeds Jan gave me into little pots ready to be put out into the new bed Yorgo is making for me.
I have photos but they haven't reached my computer from my iPad - it's all such a mystery to me.  So I'll leave this for now as I wanted to show anyone looking at this -? - my little brown and white pots tucked amongst the flowers and herbs.  And Graham has started the veg plot proper.  A big job, we have such a lot of land.  I do love it here but sometimes a penthouse appt seems very attractive!